Xpdtion Mountain Ghost: Spiti Valley
Overview
In winter, Spiti Valley empties out as the passes close and the cold desert becomes quiet. This is also when the snow leopard, locally called Shan, comes down to lower elevations. Xpdtion Spiti is a 10-day winter expedition built around finding it, travelling through Kinnaur, ancient monasteries and some of India's highest villages before spending four full days tracking snow leopards in Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary with local spotters.
What's Included
Accommodation
Meals included
All additional fee
All in-country road transfers
Conservation experiences
Maasai community experiences
Sundowner champagne
Swahili cooking class
Gallery
Xpdtion Schedule
Day 1 | The Road: Chandigarh to Rampur
Meet in Chandigarh in the morning and drive through Shimla onto the old Hindustan-Tibet Highway. Reach Rampur Bushahr by afternoon, visit Padam Palace, settle into the stay and join a welcome activity and expedition briefing.
Day 2 | The Threshold: Rampur to Tabo
Follow the Sutlej through Kinnaur, stopping at Nako before crossing Sumdo into Spiti. Reach Tabo, visit the ancient Tabo Monastery and take a village walk at dusk. Evening naturalist session introduces snow leopard ecology and tracking.
Day 3 | The Cold Desert: Tabo to Kaza
Drive to Kaza and explore the high plateau around Langza, Hikkim and Komic. Visit the Buddha at Langza, see marine fossils, send a postcard from Hikkim and visit Komic monastery. Evening tracking protocol session.
Day 4 | Shan's Country: Kaza to Chicham
Visit Ki Monastery before continuing through Kibber into the wildlife sanctuary. Cross the Chicham Bridge and reach the homestay. Afternoon session introduces the tracking terrain, spotting positions and wildlife signs.
Day 5 | The Watch: Chicham
First full snow leopard tracking day. Begin before first light with local spotters positioned across the valley. Use spotting scopes to scan the slopes, watching blue sheep, ravens and other signs that may reveal the leopard's presence.
Day 6 | The Wait: Chicham
Second full tracking day. Continue reading the landscape and searching for snow leopards across different vantage points. Look beyond the main species for blue sheep, ibex, red fox, Himalayan wolf, bearded vultures and golden eagles.
Day 7 | The Ridge: Chicham
Final full day in the sanctuary. Return to the strongest tracking grounds identified during the expedition, either walking to a further vantage point or holding position for the day. Spend time in Chicham with local residents before the final night under the Spiti sky.
Day 8 | The Descent: Chicham to Kaza
Final morning tracking session before leaving Chicham. Drive to Kaza and spend the afternoon exploring the old town and market, with time to rest, reflect and recover from the altitude.
Day 9 | The Long Road Back: Kaza to Rampur
Retrace the Kinnaur road through Tabo and Nako. Stop for photographs along the route before reaching Rampur. End the evening with a closing circle and dinner.
Day 10 | Farewell: Rampur to Chandigarh
Drive from Rampur through Shimla to Chandigarh. The expedition concludes back where it began.
Chandigarh
Starting Point
Chandigarh
Ending Point
